US President Donald Trump has branded his supporters "weaklings" and "stupid" for demanding the release of files related to dead financier and paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Mr Trump labelled the furore around the so-called Epstein files a "SCAM" and said his "PAST supporters have bought into this 'bullshit'".
It comes amid a growing rift within the president's Make America Great Again (MAGA) Republican coalition over the Epstein files and a "client list" the FBI has said does not exist.
Meanwhile, the Department of Justice has fired Maurene Comey, a prosecutor in the federal cases against Sean "Diddy" Combs and Jeffrey Epstein, two people familiar with the matter told The Associated Press.
The FBI last week announced it would not release any further documents related to Epstein or his suicide in a New York jail cell.
Claiming Democrats were peddling "fake news", Mr Trump lashed out at Republicans, writing: "I have had more success in 6 months than perhaps any President in our Country's history, and all these people want to talk about, with strong prodding by the Fake News and the success starved Dems, is the Jeffrey Epstein Hoax."
"Let these weaklings continue forward and do the Democrats work, don't even think about talking of our incredible and unprecedented success, because I don't want their support anymore!" he said.
He later told reporters that those calling for the release of the files were "some stupid Republicans" and "wasting their time".
The Department of Justice also said Epstein did not maintain a "client list" to whom underage girls were trafficked.
The client list has been the central pillar of a number of conspiracy theories surrounding Epstein. Senior members of Mr Trump's administration, including Attorney-General Pam Bondi, had previously promised to release it.
Mr Trump has been under pressure over the issue, with the saga threatening to undermine the loyal support he receives from the MAGA base of the Republican Party.
A number of high-profile conservative influencers have also criticised the FBI's statement and the attorney-general's response, but the president has so far backed Ms Bondi.
But in recent days, he has sought to discredit claims about a client list.
In his Truth Social post, the US president compared claims of an Epstein client list to other high-profile sagas, including allegations Russia interfered in the 2016 election.
He also pointed blame at the Democrats for peddling the story.
"The Radical Left Democrats have hit pay dirt, again!"
Mr Trump knew Epstein socially in the 1990s and early 2000s.
During the 2021 trial of Epstein's associate Ghislaine Maxwell, the financier's long-time pilot, Lawrence Visoski, testified that Mr Trump flew on Epstein's private plane multiple times.
Mr Trump has denied ever being on the plane and has not been accused of any wrongdoing.
Justice Department fires Maurene Comey
Meanwhile, the Justice Department has fired Maurene Comey, a prosecutor in the federal cases against Sean "Diddy" Combs and Jeffrey Epstein, The Associated Press reports.
Ms Comey is also the daughter of former FBI director James Comey.
There was no specific reason given for her firing from the US attorney's office in the Southern District of New York, according to one of the people who spoke to AP on the condition of anonymity.
Her termination comes shortly after she prosecuted Combs, who was acquitted of sex trafficking and racketeering charges.
The rapper was convicted of lesser prostitution-related offences.
The Justice Department recently appeared to acknowledge the existence of an investigation into her father, though the basis for that inquiry is unclear.
He was abruptly fired by Mr Trump during his first administration in 2017.
Reuters/AP
